Mailboxes for receiving mail at a residence or business have long been mounted in a wide variety of ways. One classic mailbox, for example, comprises a metal box mounted atop a wooden post. More recently, it has become popular to mount the mailbox in a brick or masonry column that may form a part of a brick wall or other structure. These masonry columns serve to protect the mailbox against vandalism and provide a pleasing esthetic addition to a residence.
While traditionally constructed masonry mailboxes look and function well, they nevertheless have been plagued with various problems and shortcomings. First, they typically have to be built from the ground up by a trained brick layer or mason. Accordingly, their construction is expensive. Furthermore, traditional masonry mailbox columns are very heavy and typically are secured atop a concrete pad in the ground. While this makes them secure, it also presents a hazard if a car should veer off the road and hit the structure. It is not uncommon for substantial damage and injury to be caused in such car accidents. Finally, traditional masonry mailbox columns, while protecting the mailbox itself against vandalism, provide very little protection against mail theft or tampering since they usually comprise a standard mailbox secured within the column.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a highly attractive decorative masonry or masonry-look mailbox column that can be assembled quickly and easily, that can be made to present a wide variety of looks and designs, that protects against mailbox vandalism and against mail theft, and that presents a much lower danger in the event that a car should veer off the road and hit the column. It is to the provision of such a mailbox column that the present invention is primarily directed.